A Dangerous Game
by lizard1969
Summary: A different ending to "Standoff"...Tracy fought her feelings to ensure her escape while the team looked on in horror and disbelief.


_Just a short one off of an idea I got during the episode "Standoff"_

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The team stood at the remains of the arms deal operation. Smoke was still billowing from the container James Thomas Mason blew up. Mason's goons were dead and Mason was being held down by Deeks and Kensi, with Sam watching on. Adrenaline was running high. Tracy approached Callen, passion and desperation consuming her; stay and pay the price or flee and enjoy the spoils?

While the action had gone down she had purposefully blended into the background and procured herself a handgun and a blade from one of the goons. She had to get out and escape. She had to get to her millions. She suspected that Callen would let her leave, but she knew Sam wouldn't. She needed leverage, she needed a distraction. The team had played their part too well.

She moved to Callen, who was still reeling from the take-down. He looked at her, yearning her touch. They were magic together. He suddenly remembered all the things they shared and all the promises they made. She was the one that got past his iron clad walls tearing them down with a furious intensity and she would do it again, if he let her. This time Callen knew her agenda. He knew that she would play on their history, that she'd try to manipulate and scheme, play on his emotions. She knew that Callen had a heart and would give her a second chance. But people change and they learn from their experiences...this time Callen was prepared.

Tracy knew she'd have an audience, but she also knew the audience would give Callen some space in order for them to have closure. Callen knew that she would ask for freedom. He'd let her have it because it was all part of the plan. He saw right through her little game of seduction. She did have feelings for him, feelings that ran very deep. But her need to get away and recover the money was greater...it was the only way for her.

Tracy made eye contact with Callen, drawing him in as she moved closer. "You have to let me go for old times sake...please Callen!"

Callen's face betrayed nothing yet she could feel his anxiety, she could feel he wanted her, she knew Callen still had feelings for her. So she raised her left hand gently to his face and kissed him. The team looked away feeling rather embarrassed. The kiss lingered and stunned Callen momentarily, and in that moment of desperation, her right hand clenched firmly around the 7 in. military classic combat knife and thrust it into Callen's side, carefully avoiding all the major organs. She just needed a distraction.

His eyes went wide with a questioning look _why?_ She shook her head as tears poured down her cheeks, pulled it out and ran for her life. They wouldn't chase her if their lead agent was injured. Meanwhile a shocked Callen grabbed his side and started falling to his knees. It was Kensi who saw him fall first, "Callen?" In shock of what she thought had happened but didn't want to believe, yelled again, this time dropping her gun and rushing to her friend's side, "Callen!"

Sam busy with the goons, heard Kensi's voice yell Callen's name. He turned to see Kensi drop everything and start to run desperately. He turned his head a fraction more and saw Callen dropping to his knees. Horror struck the big man. He called out as well, shouting G in a growing crescendo, "G!"

They both got to him just as his body was about to hit the ground. Sam got him from behind, "Hey what on earth?"

"She stabbed him, that bitch!" said Kensi angrily to Sam through clenched teeth, "Deeks Callen's being stabbed, bring something to stop the bleeding and ring..."

"911 already done...here!" Deeks said running over and handing her a towel he'd found in the limo.

Kensi looked at Callen. His face was ashen, tiny beads of sweat started forming on his face and he was starting to shake but he managed to say, "It's OK...I'll be fine," his voice trembling, "She did it as a distraction. She knew what she was doing."

"What are you serious? What person stabs their partner to get away?" yelled Sam propping Callen up.

"Ex-partner," corrected Callen trying to diffuse the tension. But Sam, Deeks and Kensi both glared at him

"A mental one!" said Kensi then pulled away his hands that were soaked in his own blood and applied pressure on the wound with the towel.

"But hot..." said Deeks trying to follow Callen's lead. Kensi and Sam shot him down with a look, "OK..OK.."

Callen's breath was quickening as he spoke to Sam, "Ask Eric if the tracker is working?"

"No...I didn't leave your side then and I'm not leaving your side now, G, " said Sam as his heart started beating faster as the memory of that fateful day started creeping up.

Callen hated it when Sam brought it up. It was in the past and that's where the memory belonged. Every time he brought it up, the bullet wounds ached as if they had a memory of their own. So Callen huffed, placing his hand on the wound, he tried to turn to see Deeks. "Sit...lie...be still. You'll bleed faster if you move," ordered Kensi.

"Where's Deeks?" Callen asked Kensi struggling to see the LAPD officer.

"Deeks!" yelled Kensi. "Probably robbing the dead men of the valuables," she said with a wry smile on her face.

"Oh..funny..very funny. So I'm a grave robber now. Yes...man of many talents I am...keep that in mind Agent Blye," said Deeks baiting Kensi. Sam let out a short chuckle. "I was actually ringing Eric...the tracker and GPS are working perfectly," finished Deeks feeling very proud of himself.

Meanwhile Callen was waning. Kensi noticed it and said trying to hide the frantic tone in her voice, "Callen hold on I can hear the sirens...hold on!"

However Sam felt Callen's body was growing limp, "G...recite the opening to Dr Zivago in Russian, you know how I love that especially at 2 o'clock in the morning," said Sam clutching at straws.

There was a pause then Callen spoke briefly through short and panting breaths, "Crime...and... Punishment...Sam." The ambulance arrived.

_**3 Days later...**_

Sam came storming into NSIC: OSP yelling at the top of his voice, "Where's G?...G?"

Hetty approached him calmly, "Mr Hanna, is there a problem?" Her soft spoken way of communicating usually and always calmed the wild beast.

"G's not at the hospital. He discharged himself...it's been 3 days...3 days only," said Sam furiously and still trying to look around.

"Ah yes...Mr Callen is upstairs sitting down with Eric. Miss Rossetti finally took receivership of the $5 000 000 in the Caribbean...feel like a holiday Mr Hanna? Mr Callen could definitely do with some time for a little R&R," said Hetty in her frustratingly prosaic way.

Sam got control of his anger, bent over and spoke quietly to Hetty, "You're not seriously letting him go?"

"Oh yes Mr Hanna...go see for yourself. Mr Callen is quite capable of making his own decisions. He wants to finish this and bring her in. Whom am I to deny him of that pleasure?" she said smugly.

Sam nodded angrily. It was all a conspiracy. He bounded upstairs and erupted in the room, "So you discharge yourself, you don't let me know and now we're off to the Caribbean...you're in no state G," said Sam moving closer to him in a threatening way. His demeanour only causing Deeks and Kensi, in response, to move away.

"Calm down Sam...I'm fine," said Callen smiling at him hoping to calm the giant down, "and the reason I didn't call you was because of this ...you over-react. Stop acting like my mother."

Sam looked at him then looked at Eric, who quietly rolled his chair away and then returned his gaze to Callen, "OK...fine. We'll do this your way but if anything happens..."

Callen slowly got up and looked his partner and friend in the eye, "Nothing will happen because you have my back!" He slapped him on the shoulder and walked slowly past him, "Now let's go catch us a barracuda."

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End file.
